France Orders 10,000 EU-Made Anti-Tank Mines
On 18 July 2025, France’s Directorate General for Armaments (DGA) launched a 10-year framework tender for the supply of up to 10,000 MI-AC PR pressure-activated anti-tank mines and 12,000 inert training dummies. A key clause mandates that all production stages—design, components, and final assembly—take place entirely within the European Union. Bids are open until 15 September 2025.
The procurement is managed by DGA’sTechniques Terrestres department and includes a confirmed base order of 3,000 live mines and 2,500 dummies. Additional volumes—7,000 combat mines and 9,500 training units—are listed as scalable options. Each mine must feature manual emplacement, a charge of at least six kg TNT, and the ability to disable vehicles protected to STANAG 4569 Level 2 standards.
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The mine design is pressure-activated, without advanced sensors or electronics, favoring passive systems suitable for long-term stockpiling and area denial. The inert mine dummies are intended to restore full-scale sapper training cycles, including live emplacement drills and mechanized minelaying.
The strict EU-only production clause reflects France’s broader effort to build strategic autonomy in the defense sector. The approach aims to reduce exposure to global supply chain vulnerabilities, embargo risks, and component shortages highlighted during recent European crises.
Potential suppliers include TDW (Rheinmetall), Nexter Arrowtech, EXPAL, Forcit Defence, and Nammo—all of which maintain qualified production capacity within EU territory. The French Ministry of Armed Forces considers the baseline volume a „preliminary core,” with the possibility of increased production rates under the „war economy” model adopted in 2024.
